LONDON: Britain’s advertising regulator on Wednesday banned an advert for Sanex shower gel, owned by US consumer goods group Colgate-Palmolive, for suggesting black skin was “problematic” and white skin was “superior”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it took action after two complaints that the TV ad perpetuated negative stereotypes about people with darker skin.

The ad, which aired in June, showed two black models as having “itchy and dry skin which was shown to be problematic”, while a white model was depicted with smooth skin.

“We considered that could be interpreted as suggesting that white skin was superior to black skin,” ASA said in a statement. The watchdog ruled the ad must not appear again, as it breached rules banning harmful or offensive advertising.

Colgate-Palmolive told ASA that the ad used a “before and after” scenario to show the product was suitable for everyone, not to make a comparison based on race or ethnicity.

ASA accepted the message was not intentional but warned the company to “ensure they avoided causing serious offence on the grounds of race.”

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2025